You're gonna need an adapter or two.

Apple announced the iPhone 5 earlier this week, and one of the major changes to the device is its connector. Apple’s new 8-pin "Lightning" connector replaces the legacy 30-pin connector used in previous iPhone generations. This conversion to the new connector will leave many iPhone peripherals out in the cold unless you purchase the needed adapters. The Lightning connector is smaller and reversible, which is nice. But is it worth getting the iPhone 5 if it makes all your previous connectors obsolete?

The Ars OpenForum has been following Apple’s announcement of the iPhone 5 closely in the thread "Official" Apple Sept 2012 event discussion thread. As the event unfolded on Wednesday, the OpenForum members analyzed Apple’s move to the new connector. The iPhone is not the only Apple device getting a dock overhaul: iPods, which were also announced this week, will also get Lightning dock connectors. It looks like this is the way of the future for Apple gadgets, so customers who are converting now may see the new technology as an investment for the future.

When it comes to the transition, ClarkGoble comes right out and says it: "Honestly to me the new connector is a step backwards—even though I understand completely why they are moving to it."

Captain Riker has some serious doubts about the promise of the new 8-pin cable: "Are there any good notes on what the new dock connector offers beyond a smaller form factor and the ability to plug it in in any direction? I assume that Apple will release adapters for HDMI and Video out eventually. The note about the adapter seems to be a reflection of the adapter's ability to pass iPod control and video, not the connectors. Still a horrible message for anyone with a 'legacy dock' based device. My nice Bose sound dock may output music but its own controls and remote are useless? There is a paranoid part of me that thinks that Apple will take the stance that 'you only really need bluetooth and Airplay to get audio/video out' and that will be that. Of course that would beg the question: Why not just go with microUSB? Faster charging and reversibility aren't great selling points over 'use any cable/charger.'"

ChrisGquestions Apple’s choice to not adopt a standardized plug for the iPhone in response to comments from MrRefinement. "You say that Apple wouldn't want to use standardized plugs, but what about you, personally? Are you actually keen on buying adapters for stuff [like] that only because Apple say you have to? I noticed the other day that I've suddenly accumulated 3 or 4 USB main adapters with microUSB on the end (and a couple of with just USB outputs, so you can plug in anything with USB of some description on the other), which comes in incredibly handy when I have friends staying who need to charge phones overnight etc. Hell, I even have a rechargeable flashlight with a microUSB connector on it. With Apple stuff, nope. Wouldn't happen.

"Apple’s Lightning connector will definitely force users to buy adapters for peripherals and other gadgets that connect to the iPhone, which could add up in cost, when you consider the adaptors start at $29 a piece. The connector does support analog and digital audio out. If you’re looking for video out, don’t get your hopes up, because it doesn’t do it. Because the Lightning connector is a proprietary design, there’s no substitutes for [it] at this point. On the upside, the new connector will transfer data more quickly, so that’s a big plus."

ChrisGnotes that Apple’s proprietary design "sidesteps a standard that everyone else uses (microUSB) for no apparent reason other than to be different, but which would be entirely adequate for the job anyway. In fact, Engadget are reporting a Lightning-microUSB adapter for £15 as of this morning given the EU's mandate that smartphones should all use microUSB anyway."

For Captain Riker, video out is an important point. "On the Video out, if the new Lightning connector can't do video out then there might be trouble. I think (hope) it's the adapter that can't do video out but that the new connector can do video out. If it can't then why not just use microUSB and HDMI?"

While Apple is not likely to share exactly why it chose to move to this unique connector at this moment, the OpenForum is a great place to read analysis and speculation on this strategy. If you are considering buying or upgrading to an iPhone 5, how does the Lightning connector issue impact your buying decision? If you are a first-time owner, perhaps it doesn’t matter, but what if you want to use your old gadgets and peripherals on the new phone? What are your thoughts on the pricing of the adaptors? Join in the conversation with us in the Ars OpenForum. Register for an account to participate in the discussion.

Cesar Torres
Cesar is the Social Editor at Ars Technica. His areas of expertise are in online communities, human-computer interaction, usability, and e-reader technology. Cesar lives in New York City. Emailcesar.torres@arstechnica.com//Twitter@Urraca

151 Reader Comments

Digital signals at a high enough clock can easily approximate an analog signal.

Do you mean a digital output can create an actual analog signal without a DAC? Or a digital signal can easily represent an analog signal? The latter I get, the former would be new for me.

Look up PCM.

I know what PCM is. My original point was that since Lighting is an all digital connection, it can't carry analog audio. So it can't be connected to existing audio accessories without an expensive active adapter. Which was what some were drumming up as an argument against USB. To connect an iPhone 5 directly to a cheapo clock radio, the clock radio now needs a DAC. Or a mini-jack.

One thing that I have failed to spot (in all this talk about DAC/ADC - I have a degree in Music Technology so I speak with a level of authority here) is the potential that perhaps the Lightning connector allows digital audio to be transmitted without loading any controller functions onto the processor - as would be the case with a native USB connector.

I can't speak with any authority on the implementation of the new 'Lightning' connector and how it handles connectivity but I know that in the audio World, the 'higher-end' interfaces (especially a few years back) always used either optical connectors or FireWire. FireWire has a dedicated controller chip and it made sure that the digital audio signal was processed discreetly from the main CPU during transmission. This is much less of an issue than it used to be (I have a 8in/8out USB2 interface that is great) but perhaps Apple have a dedicated controller chip for this new protocol?

It's Apple, and hence it's obviously a cynical money grab as they could've easily gone with micro USB or MHL for equivalent functionality. What's more to discuss?

The best part is that its customers will still pony up for them. The ones that refuse to will switch to a competitor like the GS3.

As I was quoted in the article saying, I understand whey they did it but it is a step back. That said it's anything but a cynical money grab. They are trying to shrink phones further and the 30 pin connector was getting too big and using too much space. Look at the new Nanos for example.

The problem with micro-USB is that its pins are too small to carry sufficient charge for the iPad. So while it's basically a USB feed as I understand it the power specs are much higher. If you've ever tried to charge an iPad off a regular USB charger you'll recognize the power difference immediately.

Until I try the adaptor I'm going to hope for the best. But it's expensive and no, I'm not apt to merely carry the adaptor with me. I'll want it on the devices I charge with. Were it only $5 it would be one thing but at $30 it's kind of ridiculous. However I'm sure by January or February there will be cheaper adaptors and cables available at Amazon.

That said the video and audio compatible adaptors will probably be expensive for a long longer since they aren't merely cable adaptors but are doing actual D/A transformations. Those chips will be expensive until a certain volume gets reached.

So thanks, Apple, for removing device compatibility as the only roadblock stopping me from moving to Android. I'm sure that Google, Samsung, and Asus will appreciate it.

If the only reason that you were still buying iPhones, etc. was because you felt trapped, I for one, am glad that you are free. I think Apple realizes that they have built up a fair amount of good will with their customer base. If there was a need to make this kind of change, now would be a good time.

For me, personally... I mostly have things that work via bluetooth. When I first heard this news, I thought "Oh noes! I'm gonna have to replace.... " umm.... yeah, not really very many things, actually.

And the general annoyance of the old 30 pin one seems like it has been resolved with this new one. Reversible, easier to plug in. It's a win in my book.

tell them "I would buy an accessory, BUT, Apple keeps changing the connector and docks and doesnt use a standard plug. When they start doing so, Ill start buying accessories.

And their reply will be "The 30 pin connector was introduced in 2003, and is still being used on most products we sell going into 2013, only the three newest devices have this new connector.".

You're way off base if you think they "keep changing the connector".

Yes, but lets say I ALREADY have 500$ worth of iPhone accessories that use the 30 pin? What happens when I buy an iPhone 5? New iPod touch? All of my $500 worth of accessories are GARBAGE at that point and become yet another thing filling up our landfills.

They're not garbage, you just have to choose between the added inconvenience of an adapter and using an one of the old models, which are still for sale and will be for another two or three years. Or you could sell them/give them away as gifts.

Change sucks, but sometimes it has to happen. We can't keep on using the same connector forever, especially when there are serious issues with it (size, complexity, etc).

Kin24 wrote:

Also, really, that was the only part of my post you could find any fault in? Please, answer the questions at the bottom of my first post.

To be brutally honest, I didn't read all of your comment because it's a single massive paragraph rant. But I'll take the bait and read/respond to it now:

Kin24 wrote:

An easy solution to get Apple to fall in line with everyone else. STOP buying Apple accessories. When the Apple store guys try to sell you an accessory, which is apparently the new plan since they have all been put on commission, tell them "I would buy an accessory, BUT, Apple keeps changing the connector and docks and doesnt use a standard plug. When they start doing so, Ill start buying accessories. Until then, all geniuses get NO accessory sales, PERIOD. If enough people do it, MAYBE Apple will listen. They need to stop being greedy. As do we all.

I already responded to this, I agree change is bad but after 10 years and with all the problems the old connector has, it is well and truly justified.

Kin24 wrote:

I want someone to do a study and calculate how many Chinese children have to live in poverty for each westerner to live in luxury as we all do. Maybe when people realize 10 kids or more in China are practically starving so that we can have cars and iPhones, they'll start realizing that the monetary and financial systems of the world, are seriously messed up and that no deserves to be "wealthy" at the expense of cheap labor and poverty stricken countries.

What does that have to do with the new connector? Perhaps you think we should stop buying gadgets altogether? In my opinion, the only thing that will achieve is get tens of millions of Chinese people fired, because there is no-longer any need for them at the factory.

I've never been to China, so I'm not going to comment on their current working conditions, however I've never seen any solid evidence to suggest Apple is any worse than every other company in the industry, so I'm going to continue buying Apple's stuff. Also, China is the biggest country in the world full of really smart people who, unlike me, actually know what is happening on the ground. If anybody knows how to solve whatever problems might be going on, it is them. Better to let the Chinese decide what is right for them, rather than sit here in my comfy air conditioned office in a small Australian city and try to tell them how they should live their lives.

Kin24 wrote:

Our system does this because thats the way it was designed, to allow greedy people to satiate their impulses to the detriment of everyone else. we are steadily sacrificing our freedoms for "security", which according to Benjamin Franklin means we deserve neither. If that is the case, why dont we start sacrificing freedoms in the name of bettering humanity and the world? Would you be willing to sacrifice your luxuries if you knew 10 or more children in China would no longer have to live in poverty? Would you still purchase an iPhone if you also had to pick from a list of pictures, which children in China had to be pulled from their schools to manufacture your individual phone?

Where is your evidence to back this up? Apple and several third party child labour groups have released detailed analysis of child labour in their factories, and it doesn't sound anywhere near as bad as you're making it out to be. As far as I can tell, the only children working in Apple's factories are ones who are tall enough and have a convincing enough story to trick the managers into thinking they are adults. Sorry, but I can't hold myself accountable for a teenager who lies his way into a job 6 months before the local laws say he/she can have that job.

Also, I don't appreciate your implication that I am a "greedy person satiating my impulses to the detriment of everyone else". Anybody who has met me will tell you that is far from true.

Digital signals at a high enough clock can easily approximate an analog signal.

Do you mean a digital output can create an actual analog signal without a DAC? Or a digital signal can easily represent an analog signal? The latter I get, the former would be new for me.

Look up PCM.

I know what PCM is. My original point was that since Lighting is an all digital connection, it can't carry analog audio. So it can't be connected to existing audio accessories without an expensive active adapter. Which was what some were drumming up as an argument against USB. To connect an iPhone 5 directly to a cheapo clock radio, the clock radio now needs a DAC. Or a mini-jack.

So if Lightning can carry raw PCM then the dongle adapter would need only a very simple DAC, unlike USB. Or if Lightning was capable of carrying PWM signals.

My original point was that since Lighting is an all digital connection, it can't carry analog audio. So it can't be connected to existing audio accessories without an expensive active adapter. Which was what some were drumming up as an argument against USB. To connect an iPhone 5 directly to a cheapo clock radio, the clock radio now needs a DAC. Or a mini-jack.

An adapter is necessary anyway because it is physically smaller than the old one, so there is no problem there.

I personally do not consider $29 to be "an expensive active adapter", especially when compared to a phone that retails for almost $1,000. In my opinion, that's a pretty cheap adapter. If you can't afford it, then you certainly can't afford the phone it plugs into.

Is a DAC really all that expensive? Surely it would only add one or two cents to the price of a "cheapo clock radio"?

I don't really give a shit either way, because my iPhone can do everything a "cheapo clock radio" can do and do most of it better. So I will only be buying the really good quality clock radios, and I want them to have their own DAC because it's almost certainly going to produce better quality sound than the tiny ultraportable low power DAC apple is using. Of course, I also have a Naim Audio sound system, so my opinion in sound quality in hardly mainstream.

Everything I use is Apple, but it is mind boggling to me why Apple seems to be getting a free pass in the EU and not the harsh treatment MS gets. Only Safari on Macs and iOS devices? How is that different than MS with Explorer?

You have to keep in mind that at the time internet was plagued by "Optimized for IE" banner on webpages, because IE really never followed any web standards until recently. That's the real difference between the two situations.

Because IE was artificially put in dominant position since it being bundled with Windows made it so that it got the most users by far, then it used this position to "force" web designers to make webpages that worked well in IE first and then if only they cared on other browsers. So basically, since IE wasn't following any standards, the "web" had to attempt to support IE it, and any other competing browser would have a hard time since it constantly wasn't able to really render webpages like they should be. I remember for example that some years ago Hotmail wouldn't work correctly on Firefox.

Safari on Mac OS X (and now iOS) is a completely different situation since from the beginning Safari rendering engine was built with the open web standards in mind. So, even if Apple came into a dominant position and Safari became a dominant browser in term of market share, it wouldn't really affect competition that much since anyway webpages don't have to adapt to work well on Safari.

A money stunt.No reason not to use USBThe phone cant support USB3 or anything similar.Now you have:iPhone 1-4 charger A with cableiPad charger B with cableiPhone 5 charger with cableMicro USB for everything else.

A money stunt.No reason not to use USBThe phone cant support USB3 or anything similar.Now you have:iPhone 1-4 charger A with cableiPad charger B with cableiPhone 5 charger with cableMicro USB for everything else.

Money stunt.

And the physical and electrical superiority of Lightning mean nothing?

The fact it has 5 more pins, allowing for more capability, also means nothing?

My original iPhone and iPod eventually got flakey connections, something I don't see as an advantage for traditional pinned connectors.

i would bet that the number 1 mechanical damage issue they see is related to someone trying to plug in the connector backwards. i would bet that's a bigger issue with miniUSB and HDMI. if this connector can do video and everything else, eventually, then i don't hate it.

i have wondered for a long time why most of the modern connectors aren't symmetric. the tech allowing them to be symmetric has been around for a long time, even for HDMI bandwidths when it was first put out. i have assumed it was patent-related (unnecessary "feature" to make it patentable over some previous connector scheme).

Serious? You really don't get it man. You can download whatever browser you want on MS but they still got their asses handed to them for only preloading Explorer on their computers. Now all MS computers have to have a preload screen with the option of which Browser you'd like to download and Explorer isn't even first on the list.

You must have a magical iOS device that came preloaded with Chrome on it.

Microsoft was sued by the European Union because Internet Explorer was embedded as part of the Windows operating system. It had an unfair advantage, because it could access parts of Windows which other browsers could not. Microsoft is under EU scrutiny to this day.

There is a parallel between Windows/IE and iOS/Safari in this regard. That said, anyone can build their own webkit browser within iOS, and anyone can use the JIT in the same ways Safari can.

The thing you cannot do, so far, is to bring your own JavaScript interpreter. Apple considers it to be a security issue. Just like you cannot install Java or Flash.

I get your point, but technically, I don't think this can be called anti-competitive.

I would buy an accessory, BUT, Apple keeps changing the connector and docks and doesnt use a standard plug.

Yeah they keep changing the connector every decade or so. How many different USB connectors have we seen in that time? In the last couple years a lot of devices moved from mini USB to micro USB. Is micro now the "one true connector" or will there again be another one in a couple years?

i have wondered for a long time why most of the modern connectors aren't symmetric. the tech allowing them to be symmetric has been around for a long time, even for HDMI bandwidths when it was first put out. i have assumed it was patent-related (unnecessary "feature" to make it patentable over some previous connector scheme).

Yep. The HDMI consortium controls the spec, and has the legal power to do DMCA-style cease-and-desist orders to cable manufacturers for making so-called non-compliant HDMI cables.

A recent specific case was their move against the manufacturer of a Display Port to HDMI cable (in multiple lengths). They want all HDMI-labeled cables to have only HDMI connectors on both ends. Talk about needing adapters...

Apple doesn't make much money off accessories (including Mac accessories) so I really doubt that's part of the equation. They could quadruple the size of that business and it would still be peanuts for them. In any event if they had used a standard micro-USB connector that would not preclude doing licensing. Apple could easily make iOS only use 'made for iPhone' accessories. It may be more likely they see their hardware accessory ecosystem around iOS devices as a competitive advantage that ultimately sells more iOS devices. In that case supporting micro-USB would only serve to erase that advantage. More likely though is Apple doesn't want the USB standard committee to decide what size and shape of connector will be on the iPhone. They don't have a very good track record in terms of good connector design or forward thinking. For example the existing micro-USB2 connector is not USB3 compatible so someday when there is a benefit to having USB3 support in these devices you will have yet another new USB connector.

The whole truth is that Apple sees so many people destroying the 30pin connector due to forced wrong insertion, it had to build a symmetrical connector for the idiots to use these devices. It says heaps about Apple and their customer base!.

Great connector design. Simple, small, thin, rugged, ambidextrous, rounded & smooth shape that will not mar cases and with spring-loaded latching on the socket end. And good looking.

Once again Apple demonstrates design leadership in connector design and given the fact their connector/cable designs have historically been designs that last for a decade or more, one must wonder what all the hand-wringing is all about.

Maybe when people realize 10 kids or more in China are practically starving

Are we talking about the cultural revolution or the great leap forward?

These days basically everyone in China has electricity.

Kin24 wrote:

Would you be willing to sacrifice your luxuries if you knew 10 or more children in China would no longer have to live in poverty? Would you still purchase an iPhone if you also had to pick from a list of pictures, which children in China had to be pulled from their schools to manufacture your individual phone?

If it was true that 10 kids were starving to make the iPhone then I would have a problem - however that isn't remotely the case.

The only factory Apple found which employed children they dropped. And the rest of the kids are in school - how else do you get 10% YoY growth for 30 years?

Auxiliary-in, tape-adapter, or bluetooth is all I'm willing to do any more. People seem to think that the previous adapter was nearly ten years old - but Apple rearranged the pin out at least two or three times during that time, rendering features or whole devices useless then too. This is nothing new to Apple - I have friends who, as mentioned in this article, swear it's a money-grubbing conspiracy and curse Apple frequently because of it.

One thing that has been failed to mention is the fact I would never EVER want to rely on the a micro-USB connector to support the weight of any phone on a dock. This connector looks to be much beefier and will go into the phone further to give better physical support.

This is a very good point that I hadn't seen mentioned. I've learned to avoid docks in which the iPhone's weight is entirely supported by the connector, because the connector has a tendency to fail (and I also worry about the potential for damage to the phone itself, which would be a lot more serious). I've always had to replace my charging docks when I get a new phone anyway, because the phone doesn't fit in the old one, or the dock doesn't properly support it. I needed new docks when I went from the original iPhone to the 3gs because of the differently shaped back, and again for the iPhone 4s. I also needed to replace my charging cables when I got the iPhone 4s, because my old ones tended not to be long enough to work with the "bumper" on. So this is pretty much par for the course. If the new connector is robust enough to support the weight of the phone, I may end up having to buy fewer new docks in the future.

If I had an expensive dock like a Bose system or a car dock, I'd probably just keep my old phone and make it a permanent part of the dock.

I want someone to do a study and calculate how many Chinese children have to live in poverty for each westerner to live in luxury as we all do. Maybe when people realize 10 kids or more in China are practically starving so that we can have cars and iPhones, they'll start realizing that the monetary and financial systems of the world, are seriously messed up and that no deserves to be "wealthy" at the expense of cheap labor and poverty stricken countries.

What does that have to do with the new connector? Perhaps you think we should stop buying gadgets altogether? In my opinion, the only thing that will achieve is get tens of millions of Chinese people fired, because there is no-longer any need for them at the factory.

I've never been to China, so I'm not going to comment on their current working conditions, however I've never seen any solid evidence to suggest Apple is any worse than every other company in the industry, so I'm going to continue buying Apple's stuff. Also, China is the biggest country in the world full of really smart people who, unlike me, actually know what is happening on the ground. If anybody knows how to solve whatever problems might be going on, it is them. Better to let the Chinese decide what is right for them, rather than sit here in my comfy air conditioned office in a small Australian city and try to tell them how they should live their lives.

I've never understood the thinking of those who imagine that they can improve somebody's life by getting them fired. Yes, there is likely some potential for encouraging big manufacturers to push for improved conditions for workers in their suppliers' factories in China, and to the extent that happens, "gadget buyers" are actually improving working conditions in China. But even if it doesn't, the workers are probably better off working in the factory than working (or not working) elsewhere. That's why they work in the factory. China may not be as free a country as the US, but workers in these factories are not slaves--if their jobs don't improve their lives, they can quit.

anyone can build their own webkit browser within iOS, and anyone can use the JIT in the same ways Safari can.

Unfortunately, you're fundamentally wrong. That's why I can't switch to Chrome in iOS because I don't want to use a browser with 4 times slower Javascript interpreter than in Safari. I wish Apple released that restriction.

Micro USB is a really annoying socket for ease of insertion, and in devices I've owned, it doesn't stay in as well as desired. I'd prefer Apple use a standard, but I'd also prefer a better standard. Neither are correct.

I agree. I hate micro-USB. Either I'm squinting at it to figure out which way it goes or else I get it wrong half the time. And it's flimsy. The ideal outcome would be for Apple to license Lightning to everybody else and for the entire industry to put micro-USB in the wastebasket where it belongs.

For all the marginal (and dubious) claims of superior this, that and the other, if you cannot see it for what it really is, you're just a very dumb consumer funding planned-obsolescence.

Gladly! My dock connector wore out on my 2006 iPod and 2007 iPhone after 3 years, so I'm all for longer lasting, more reliable, high quality connectors. It's my money to replace or fix a flaky dock connector, not yours.

I would buy an accessory, BUT, Apple keeps changing the connector and docks and doesnt use a standard plug.

Yeah they keep changing the connector every decade or so. How many different USB connectors have we seen in that time? In the last couple years a lot of devices moved from mini USB to micro USB. Is micro now the "one true connector" or will there again be another one in a couple years?

i'm still using my original dock, from when they came bundled with iPods (version 2?).using an iPod touch now with it, so not so sure about the "keeps changing" part as well.

Standard USB is even worse of course, with a connector that looks similar on both sides but only plugs in one way - how anyone thought that was a good idea is way beyond me. Even today it's a 50/50 chance to get the plug into any USB port on the first try - horrible. The hints are way too subtle.

No, the hints are fine; not everyone follows the standard (or is it just a convention?). There is a "right side up" for USB ports, and the "top" of USB plugs is supposed to be labeled (that's where the USB symbol goes). I only have problems with the occasional cheap product that doesn't get that right.

That said, I'm no fan of USB for anything but basic I/O peripherals (mouse, keyboard, maybe scanner). And it is dumb to have a connector that can fit in the port but not plug in in either orientation. Either make orientation really obvious (like RJ-45 or Firewire 400) or make it work in all possible orientations (like Lightning or an RCA plug).

Interestingly App,e seems to want to reduce the number of ports on all their devices and 'simplify' but the need for all these adapters seems to fly in the face of simplicity. Having to carry around a bunch of accessoires seems to make for a poor way to simplify.

The response from Apple would be "use wireless technologies." The same answer for losing the floppy and seemingly the Optical drive. All well and good. Unfortunately that kind of infrastructure doesn't always exist. Hotel's don't have strong wireless networks or Airplay enabled docks in their rooms. Cars don't carry wireless networks and so on.

It would be an easier approach to accept if Apple would use other's wireless protocols or share their own. let Airplay become a standard for sending A/V and desktops to units of all kinds. Let Microsoft use it. Let Google use it, etc.

Great connector design. Simple, small, thin, rugged, ambidextrous, rounded & smooth shape that will not mar cases and with spring-loaded latching on the socket end. And good looking.

Once again Apple demonstrates design leadership in connector design and given the fact their connector/cable designs have historically been designs that last for a decade or more, one must wonder what all the hand-wringing is all about.

One mustn't wonder. The issue is compatibility - with old iOS devices, and with other cell phone chargers.

A nice thing about the convergence of all non-Apple phones on microUSB chargers is that you rarely run into a situation in which your phone is dying and you cannot charge it. If I'm at work, someone will have a USB to microUSB cable, and I can charge my phone from my computer. If I'm on a trip and I've forgotten my charger, someone else will have one.

This is not to mention the cost of replacement. MicroUSB chargers go for less than $5 on Amazon.

The only thing I need to know is if when the phone falls behind my nightstand or slips between my seat and center console in the car, can I pull the phone back up by the cord? As long as they kept that functionality, I'm ok with this.

Apple has had the 30-pin connector for a DECADE. Are we seriously having this discussion? Apple is money-grubbing for updating their dock connector ONCE PER DECADE? I can't believe all of these geeks on here are not seeing a decade as being a very long period of time in tech hardware. I wonder how many of these complainers would be satisfied with buying a decade-old computer as their next PC?

And the people who are complaining about having to buy adapters for their iOS peripherals are also complaining because Apple didn't go with Micro USB. Let me point out that, even if Apple went with Micro USB, you STILL would have been buying adapters for or replacing all of your iOS devices to make them compatible. So, it doesn't make any difference!

And do you think the current Micro USB will still be the standard a decade from now when Apple switches again? I don't. I'd guess that smartphones will have outgrown Micro USB by the point.

The only thing I have every plugged into any of my phones is the charger cable, I think that is the case for the vast majority of all smartphone owners. So I am not to miffed about the proprietary connector to start with, yes it would have been nice if Apple had gone for a standardized plug but anyone who expected it are delusional. Apple have a sweet business licensing access to their existing connector and they are not exactly famous for being willing to drop sources of revenue and control like that.

That being said, I think the more important fight is over AirPlay and iCloud regarding connecting to iPhones and iPads, that is clearly where Apple are going to end up doing everything anyways.

So no, the proprietary connector is not going to influence my decision to buy an iPhone the slightest. The fact that I have owned several really shitty Android devices though is, I just want something that is supported long term and which works. The iPhone seems to be it for the near future and it will fit into my growing ecosystem of Apple devices.

tell them "I would buy an accessory, BUT, Apple keeps changing the connector and docks and doesnt use a standard plug. When they start doing so, Ill start buying accessories....

Yes, but lets say I ALREADY have 500$ worth of iPhone accessories that use the 30 pin? What happens when I buy an iPhone 5? New iPod touch? All of my $500 worth of accessories are GARBAGE at that point and become yet another thing filling up our landfills.

Also, really, that was the only part of my post you could find any fault in? Please, answer the questions at the bottom of my first post.

How long do you think Micro USB is going to be a standard? For all we know, the industry could shift completely to induction charging over the next decade.

And for your $500 worth of iPhone peripherals... if Apple had chosen Micro USB as the next connector, you still would have had to buy adapters to convert from 30-pin to Micro USB.